Moneywort Care

[finbean3]

Hi Aquarium Coop friends,

Back in the beginning of October, I bought some live plants for my 40 gallon tank which I am preparing for a herd of baby mystery snails that are on the way. In fact, they are already here! (Pictures attached) 

For this tank, I got some live plants from, you guessed it, Aquarium Coop! 😉 I got some Java fern, a Red Dwarf Lily Bulb, and some moneywort. (Pictures attached) 

Now the Java fern is doing great, as you can see in the pictures. The red dwarf is in recovery when I made the mistake of burying it in the sand substrate. (Somehow I misunderstood the directions and thought it was supposed to be planted in substrate to begin with. Upon rereading a few weeks later, I learned that was NOT what to do and the poor guy has suffered for it) I am hoping the red dwarf lily will pull through now that I have brought it up from our of the substrate. 

Now I come to the moneywort: I don’t think the moneywort is doing so well. Now keep in mind that it spent the first week in a sub optimal aquarium with little light and was left in the basket it was delivered with. Only after I removed the basket tonight did I realize the error when I saw the rubber band around the roots. As you will see in the pictures, the remaining roots are a little beat up and lots of the leaves are withered and dead. I have since received the Easy Plant LED that I have installed in the 40 gallon and now that the moneywort is removed from the basket, I’m hoping it will make a full recovery. I’ve also been adding easy green to the tank since I received it. 

Let me also mention that I am a beginner at this. So I welcome any and all expert advice from those on this forum who have taken the time to read my entry. Thank you for reading, by the way! Hopefully this entry will prove beneficial not only to myself, but for all who read it. At the very least, hopefully these attached pictures will be enjoyable. 

Edited October 27, 2023 by finbean3
grammar

[nabokovfan87]

On 10/24/2023 at 8:14 PM, finbean3 said:

 I got some Java fern,

I'm very excited to see how all the plants do for you.  For java ferns you don't want to plant them buried in the sand.  They are an epiphyte type of plant and they are usually tied or glued to hardscape.  You can bury the roots, but not the part of the plant called the rhizome.
 

 

 

On 10/24/2023 at 8:14 PM, finbean3 said:

Moneywort is a great choice.  It should do well in that tank with the liquid ferts (easy green).  You just plant it like normal.  The java ferns would do well if they are towards the back of the tank where something like the moneywort will do great directly below the light (stronger light).

Welcome to the forums and to the hobby!  It's great to see new hobbyists and hopefully we can help you in any way to set you up with success!

[Chick-In-Of-TheSea]

You are on the right track with Easy Green and a plant light.  It is normal for new plants to go through melt, even if you have all the right things to start.  They usually spring back.  One nice thing about stem plants such as moneywort is that, if the bottom of the plant is doing poorly, you can cut the plant in half and replant the top in your sand and it will become a new plant (you may need to wrap a plant weight around it for it to stay down since it will not have roots at first).

@nabokovfan87 is right regarding taking the java fern out of the sand.  Here's one way to "plant" it. 

Cory uses rocks, but driftwood is another nice choice, and your baby snails will enjoy eating the slimy stuff (biofilm) that initially forms on the driftwood.  It is a good source of fiber and protein for them.

Check out Crayfish Empire for free samples of snail foods, too!  They will even send you a package of calcium carbonate for free. (Just pay shipping)  Their snail foods are nutritionally balanced with the calcium, protein, and vegetable matter that mystery snails need.

Edited October 26, 2023 by Chick-In-Of-TheSea